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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Fallout From Terror in Madrid; U.S. Steps Up Hunt for al Qaeda

Aired March 15, 2004 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Losing an ally?

JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER ELECT (through translator): Spain's participation in the war has been a total error.

BLITZER: Far reaching fallout from the terror in Madrid.

Cave warfare. U.S. troops step up the hunt for al Qaeda.

House of horrors.

CHIEF JERRY DYER, FRESNO, CALIF. POLICE: We do believe, absolutely, he is responsible for the murder of all nine victims.

BLITZER: A Fresno father accused of unspeakable acts.

Homecoming. You saw him on leave.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You may now greet your wife.

BLITZER: Now he's back from Iraq to stay.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: We're following a developing story right now, a news conference, you're seeing live here from Fresno, California. It's a grim story, we've been watching since late Friday night. A man accused of killing nine of his children and grandchildren, some he allegedly fathered with his own daughters. Here's the police chief, Jerry Dyer.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

DYER: ... around the Hammond address. That was for two reasons. No. 1 is that the family was very concerned that individuals in the neighborhood and passersby were coming to that location to look inside. Folks were bringing their children to look inside of the windows. Obviously, they felt that their privacy was being invaded and they asked the police department to come back to it and provide some additional security.

Also subsequent to that, we did go out and also gather some additional items of interest. And that we will continue. Based on our ongoing investigation, we will periodically be going back to that house to gather items of interest for us, subsequent to a search warrant.

A second search warrant was also served yesterday in the Fresno area, as a result of that search warrant. We're not able to comment on the evidence seized from that location. I will say we have gathered additional items of interest that we believe will assist us in the investigation at this time problems. And perhaps even assist us with the motives involved in this case.

Again, this tragedy has truly brought out what I believe to be the best citizens within our community. We continue to get a number of requests or a number of input from individuals within this community that wish to contribute.

Again, I stated at the press conference on Saturday that folks have donated the funeral services. At least two funeral parlors in the city have donated to do that for free.

We are also being inundated with words of condolences from folks around the nation, as well as some information that is being provided, not only in California but outside of the state of California. Information which folks feel that may assist us in this investigation.

Last, I want to put out a telephone number, if you folks would put that out. If anyone has information that will assist us with our investigators, assist our investigators in this case, you are asked to call area code 559-621-7413.

And that is a message center, specific to this case. And so if anyone has information, we'd appreciate a phone call. Our investigators will get back to the caller as soon as possible.

With that, I'll open up to any questions.

QUESTION: Can you tell us (OFF-MIKE) gunpowder possibly on some of the hands of the victims and whether or not they were involved in this?

DYER: I can't comment on the specifics of any the evidence or the tests in which we're performing. But I will say that is a matter of standard practice in investigating these types of cases.

There is gunshot residue testing that occurs of individuals that are within close proximity. And again, that is a -- just a standard practice. In terms of any information as a result of that, we're not at liberty to discuss that with you.

BLITZER: The Fresno, California police chief Jerry Dyer briefing reporters on this horrible, horrible mass murder. CNN has learned police are expecting to arraign Marcus Wesson on Wednesday.

Let's get background now on how all this unfolded. Here's CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): (AUDIO GAP) cannot make eye contact, can't even look up, but can defend his father.

SERAFINO WESSON, MARCUS WESSON'S SON: He's the best dad anybody could ever have.

TODD: Serafino Wesson, like everyone around him, seemingly cannot comprehend what his father is accused of.

Marcus Wesson, 57 years old. Charged with the biggest mass killing in the history of Fresno, California. Nine people, all of them his own children.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) awful for everybody, that he took all their lives all at one time.

TODD: Police called to Wesson's house Friday night find the bodies of six females, three male, ranging in age from 1 to 24, piled atop one another. Twelve coffins in another room. Police believe all of the victims were shot to death.

LORALEE CERVANTES, FRESNO CORONER: I can just say there are some variations in a pattern. And obviously a pattern exists because there are multiple victims.

TODD: Identifying victims and their specific relationship with each other and their alleged killer is also very tough for investigators. Police say at least two of the children Wesson is charged from killing are from incestuous relationships.

DYER: The suspect Wesson is the father of two of his grandchildren. Which means that there was a sexual relationship that occurred between he and perhaps two of his daughters. And those daughters mothered children that were his.

TODD: The police chief told CNN two other women also mothered children by Marcus Wesson. Another son answered charges of polygamy.

WESSON: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) different lives. And to him, actually he just he's pulled out and so am I.

TODD: Then Dorian Wesson, called to Fresno from his home more than 100 miles away, watches his brother inside but cannot bring himself to go in.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That was Brian Todd, CNN, reporting.

Let's get some exclusive new information now on al Qaeda. Did al Qaeda set out to topple a key U.S. ally? And did it succeed? The slaughter of last week's terror attacks in Madrid was follow almost immediately by a stunning defeat for Spain's ruling conservative party.

The result, a pledge from the prime minister-elect to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq. And that may be a stunning setback for President Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): A document written by a senior al Qaeda figure last December and obtained exclusively by CNN revealed the terrorist group was clearly focused on splitting Spain from the U.S.- led coalition in Iraq.

Although it talked about Spanish troops in Iraq, the goal was clear. If its forces remain after these blows, the victory of the socialist party will be almost guaranteed, and the withdrawal of Spanish forces will be on its campaign manifesto.

In another development, Moroccan authorities say they can connect one of the men arrested in Madrid with two brothers who are charged with plotting the terrorist suicide bombings in Casablanca last May that killed more than 30 people.

U.S. officials say that while these links are intriguing, they require still more investigation before there's conclusive evidence of responsibility for Thursday's terror attacks in Madrid.

On the day after the ballots were counted, President Bush made a congratulatory phone call to Spain's newly elected socialist prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, even as he promises to withdraw Spain's 1,300 troops from Iraq.

Administration officials are trying to stress the positive.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The party leader, Mr. Zapatero Rodriguez (sic), has said his first priority would be fighting terror. And that Spain will continue to fight groups that direct violence towards other countries.

BLITZER: But there's no hiding disappointment in official Washington. President Bush had a close ally in the defeated prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, who supported the war in Iraq despite overwhelming popular opposition throughout Spain.

Shortly after Thursday's terror attacks in Madrid, and on the eve of Sunday's election, the president went on Spanish television and praised Aznar.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That the people of Spain are lucky to have Jose Maria Aznar as the president (sic) during these times.

KEN POLLAK, CNN ANALYST: Certainly this isn't good for the administration. They were looking to expand the number of countries participating, and expand the number of troops in that were Iraq. Obviously, this isn't going to help that.

BLITZER: What worries counterterrorism officials is that al Qaeda and other associated groups might time attacks to derail other governments including Britain and Poland, which are also mentioned in the al Qaeda document. POLLAK: I think it will send the message to many people that the terrorists did have a big impact on domestic election in a key U.S. ally.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And certainly not lost on U.S. official, the fact that there's an election in this country in November. Here's your chance to weigh in on this important story. Our web question of the day is this -- "Are the election results in Spain a victory for terrorists?" You can vote right now, go to CNN.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

Weapons of mass destruction out of Libya and now on display in a federal nuclear weapons complex in Tennessee. The energy secretary, Spencer Abraham, he's standing by to show us what Libya once had. He'll join us live.

On the offensive against al Qaeda -- U.S. troops surprise anti- coalition fighters in Afghanistan. We'll have a report from Kabul.

Plus this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I came home to see regular Americans and everybody say thank you and stuff like that, that made the difference right there. That made it all worth it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A new beginning, one soldier's home coming after a year in Iraq.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: U.S. officials are showing off nuclear equipment seized after Libya's recent agreement to give up its weapons of mass destruction programs. The Libyan gear is on display in America's own nuclear bomb plant at Oakridge, Tennessee. The energy secretary Spencer Abraham is there. He's joining us now live. Mr. Secretary, thank you for joining us. What did you learn? How close was Libya to building a bomb?

SPENCER ABRAHAM, ENERGY SECRETARY: Wolf, what we have here and what we're bringing to this country are all the ingredients you need to build a nuclear bomb. They had the designs, they had the centrifuges that enrich uranium and they had the uranium, so it was up to them, any time they wanted to move ahead with this program. Fortunately, it was stopped in time.

BLITZER: What was your guess, what was the U.S. intelligence assessment if they went forward with everything they had, everything you have on display right there, how fast could they have built the bomb? ABRAHAM: They could have moved fairly quickly. It's hard to pinpoint exactly. They could have been in a position with the equipment we've taken control of to develop several bombs a year, and they were planning to build an even larger capacity in the near future. Obviously, this was a program sophisticated and well down the road until it was stopped.

BLITZER: What about their other so-called weapons of mass destruction programs. The biological, the chemical weapons of mass destruction? How sophisticated were they?

ABRAHAM: Well, obviously, my expertise, our department focus was on the nuclear programs. We know that certainly in the chemical area and so on, they had also developed capabilities, and were certainly quite sophisticated. So, this is a big win in the war against terror, Wolf. It is a real important step forward, and sends a strong signal. Countries have a choice, they can try to pursue these weapons, and I think that's a risk for them as well as the world or they can follow Libya's lead here and move in a direction toward working with the international community.

BLITZER: I don't know if you saw that op-ed piece by former Senator Gary Hart of Colorado in the "Washington Post" in January. He said the United States could have had this win years earlier but neglected various opportunities. Among other things, he wrote this and I'll put it on the screen. He said, "we might have brought the Panam bombers to justice and quite possibly have moved Libya out of its renegade status much sooner than we have. At the very least, it calls into serious question the assertion that Libya changed direction as a result of our preempted invasion of Iraq."

He says the Libyans were ready to do this for years, that the United States neglected them and their coming clean, in effect, had nothing to do with what they saw happen to Saddam Hussein. I wonder if you want to respond to that?

ABRAHAM: I won't respond to him personally. I don't really -- you know, I'm not sure where he's coming from. What I would say is this, Colonel Gadhafi has not demonstrated over the course of a long period of leadership, a willingness to voluntarily give up his nuclear capabilities until now, and the timing both of when the initial discussions began here as well as when this came to completion is very much coincidental with the war in Iraq. That isn't only factor, but I think it's important that the United States, the U.K., the world community demonstrated that we were very committed. We were willing to go forward and take the kinds of steps necessary, including the use of force to stop the proliferation of weapons. In my judgment that was a very vital component in the decision Libya made.

BLITZER: I want to ask you a question about the price of gas. But a quick question on nuclear reactors in the United States. There are more than 100 of them. Are you satisfied that security around all of these reactors now almost three years since 9/11, is as tight as it should be?

ABRAHAM: Well, I know that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that has oversight about the security of those reactors is in an ongoing state of analyzing threats and responding to potential threats, updating their analysis all the time. We feel they've done a good job of that.

BLITZER: You are relatively satisfied, is that right?

ABRAHAM: Yes, yes, I am.

BLITZER: OK, let's talk a little bit about the price of gas, in parts of the country it's going above $2 a gallon for regular unleaded. Take a look at this. I'll put it up on the screen. In Los Angeles area and San Diego it's over $2.15 a gallon. Do you expect the price to continue to increase, and if you do, why?

ABRAHAM: We're very concerned about the price of gasoline, not just in California but throughout the country. There are obviously, some very clear factors that have raised the price, especially, of course the overall price of crude oil in the world market, and the decisions on the part of OPEC for instance to reduce production. We'll have a negative impact on that.

There's other factors as well, we have tight supplies, inventories have been tight. We also have demand has been growing in both America and throughout the world, world economy and the American economy have been growing. We are very concerned about it, and obviously, it's been long our view that if Congress would pass an energy bill, we could start to address these energy challenges. We've been waiting three years for an energy bill. If this isn't enough of a wake-up call, I don't know what will be. Congress needs to get job done.

BLITZER: One final question, Mr. Secretary, when do you think oil exports from Iraq will be at the kind of level that will make a difference in the price?

ABRAHAM: Well, Iraq is slowly but surely rebuilding their energy sector. There's a lot of infrastructure improvements that remain to be done. And obviously, the government of Iraq, the people of Iraq will have to decide how much foreign investment they're going to want to help make that occur quickly. We're optimistic that by the end of this year, we'll start to see the return of production of pre-war levels, and then, we'll go from there, but it's obviously a decision the people of Iraq have to make, it's not one we can make for them, but with sufficient investment they can make their energy sector strong and increase production as well as exports.

BLITZER: Spencer Abraham, the energy secretary, we look forward to seeing you back here in Washington. Thank you for joining us.

ABRAHAM: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: Lessons from the war in Iraq. What has the U.S. military learned one year later? And how has the war on terror changed? I'll speak with the former defense secretary William Cohen.

Bomb defused. Its intended target, the U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan. We'll have a report.

Plus conceding defeat? Al Sharpton says goodbye, maybe,, to the presidential campaign trail. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Al Sharpton, Democratic presidential candidate came out endorsing John Kerry today, but he says he's still interested in running for the presidential nomination because he wants to capture more delegates to use at the convention. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. AL SHARPTON (D), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that clearly he has won the nomination, and as I had stated during the race, I would support the nominee. I think that it is, in my judgment, bad strategically, and bad for the country, to engage in continuing to attack or in any way differentiate with him during the primaries that remain would only help George Bush, since he is the nominee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: President Bush, meanwhile, campaigned in the Philadelphia area today, he called attention to a new report showing U.S. industrial production rose 7/10 of a percentage point last month. He says that's just the latest of it hence his economic policies are working.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The economy is strong, and getting stronger, the manufacturing report today was very positive. Another indication of the economy strengthening. Unemployment's dropping here in the state of Pennsylvania. There's still people looking for work, make no mistake about it. But it's getting better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A new Gallup poll suggests Americans are divided on President Bush's performance in office. 50 percent of those questioned say they approve of how Mr. Bush is handling his job as president, 47 percent say they disapprove. But listen to this. may be more significant. Responding to a broader question only 39 percent say they're satisfied with the way things are going in the United States right now. 60 percent say they're dissatisfied.

One year after the United States invaded Iraq, last week's bombings in Spain are raising new questions about the war on terror and U.S. policies in the Middle East. We welcome the former U.S. defense secretary William Cohen to WOLF BLITZER REPORTS. He's the chairman and CEO of the Cohen Group, he'll be joining us every Monday as our world affairs analyst. Today we'll talk to him about Spain and Iraq, starting with Spain, Mr. Secretary. If it was al Qaeda or some Islamist group trying to remove the government of Jose Maria Aznar, and put a socialist government in place. That strategy may have succeeded.

WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: It may have succeeded. We don't know the exact culprits behind this act. It may have succeeded and the question is will it be seen as a precedent for other countries to follow suit. There are other nations who have either committed troops to Iraq or have contemplated committing troops to Iraq. Whether they'll reevaluate at this point remains to be seen, but it's certainly a dangerous precedent. No. 2, it calls into question Spain's commitment to NATO itself, which has assumed the responsibility and assumed it in Afghanistan, and maybe even assuming it in parts of Iraq.

BLITZER: Are you suggesting the new socialist-led government may not be as robustly supportive of NATO as the previous government?

COHEN: We hope that that will not be the case. We hope he will continue to be a strong supporter. But there was growing movement toward NATO possibly considering involvement in Iraq itself. If one member would object to that, of course, NATO operates by consensus, I would hope that would not the case and, of course, the new prime minister left himself open saying if the United Nations should pass a security council resolution, that certainly might alter his position.

BLITZER: And the clear possibility there could be a new U.N. Security Council resolution between now and June 30. What will this message, what happened in Spain, the terror attacks on Thursday, the election surprise on Sunday. What message will that send to other allies in Europe?

COHEN: I think other countries. It depends on the individual country, if you look to Germany or France, it probably will not alter their particular position because they were opposed to the war in the first instance. Other countries that participated. Poland may be one, I do not see this as shaking the commitment of the polls. Japan was a country, again, against popular opinion, the prime minister has taken a position he is prepared to commit troops and has committed troops to Iraq. South Korea is another country very much in turmoil right now but also a president who campaigned on a sort of anti- American theme, and nonetheless came to the conclusion it was important to contribute troops to Iraq, that's certainly up in the air right now in terms of whether they'll go forward, it's something we have to look at.

BLITZER: You give any doubt, whatsoever, that al Qaeda or supporters of al Qaeda are planning another spectacular attack right here in the United States?

COHEN: I think we have to anticipate and prepare for the inevitability that groups like al Qaeda and others are planning to commit as much mayhem as they can on American soil and elsewhere. So we have to be prepared for that, understanding they're dedicated to that. That's why it's important as we be as defensively as prepared as we can but also on the offense trying to keep them off balance, with good police work, covert action, special forces if necessary, and ultimately military force, if necessary.

BLITZER: There are going to be the Olympic Games, summer games in Greece in August. That presumably is an inviting target for the terrorists?

COHEN: Any time you have a large gathering of people, the groups are looking to score spectacular successes, and certainly that will be a target, and the Greek authorities have been preparing for this for some time.

BLITZER: Are they good at this, the Greek authorities?

COHEN: Well, is anyone good at it? If you're only playing defense and you have a dedicated enemy, they can look for whatever weak links there are to try and score. This was not a very sophisticated operation in Spain. You have conventional bombs in knapsacks being placed aboard trains which are largely undefended, not terribly sophisticated but very effect in terms of its damages and the colloquial consequences that flow from it.

BLITZER: The powerful consequences. Thank you very much. Tragic ones as well.

COHEN: Indeed.

BLITZER: William Cohen, who will be joining us every Monday here on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, thanks very much.

COHEN: Good to be with you, Wolf.

BLITZER: A soldier who served in Iraq is rediscovering the home front.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome home.

ADRIAN DUPREE, U.S. ARMY RESERVES: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can now have your family back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Later this hour, toasting the end of a tour on duty and looking back on time spent in the war zone.

Also ahead, we'll take you to the Afghan mountains, where coalition troops are wrapping up for a new offensive. They're looking for Osama bin Laden.

And there's suddenly an empty seat on the board of Martha Stewart's company -- that story, much more, all that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Fighting the war on terror after a major setback in Spain. U.S. troops on the hunt for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. We'll update you on both fronts, but first a quick check of the latest headlines.

Martha Stewart is no longer a board member of the company she created. Today, she resigned as chief creative officer, but will still serve in the company in other capacities. Stewart also released a statement to fellow employees, saying she was deeply sorry for the pain and difficulties caused by her legal situation.

Authorities gearing up for Eric Rudolph's first bombing trial are once again scouring the North Carolina hideouts he used during his five years on the run. They say it's part of an effort to make sure no evidence was missed. Meanwhile, two people, including a death penalty expert, have joined Rudolph's defense team.

Former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is back in the Caribbean, having arrived in Jamaica this afternoon for what's being called a family visit. The government there says Aristide is not being given temporary asylum, but Haiti's interim prime minister blasted Jamaica for allowing him in.

Police in Pakistan are on the hunt for the driver of a stolen minivan who left a bomb outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi. Experts were able to diffuse the device before it exploded.

CNN's Ash-Har Quraishi, reports from Islamabad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A paramilitary trooper first noticed the parked van outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi. He approach the van and when he saw what was inside, he called a bomb disposal unit.

Now, inside, they found a 750-liter tank filled with liquefied explosives connected to detonators and a timer. Now, security officials say the assumption is that this was timed to go off when U.S. Consulate employees were actually entering the building. It was planted there about 7:15 a.m. local time. This is something that they were able to find out from a surveillance video at the U.S. Consulate.

And they say that there are pictures of the man who actually dropped the van off. He got out of the van and was taken in a separate vehicle away from the area. Now, they also were able to trace this van back to a local Karachi residence. Just 12 hours before the van was parked outside the consulate, this man was held at gunpoint, his van was stolen and he was shot in the leg.

Now, security officials say they have gotten a composite drawing of the suspect who stole the van. They say it's not clear whether or not he was the same person who parked it at the location at the U.S. Consulate. But that's sending they are investigating at this point.

Now, back in 2002, June, the U.S. Consulate fell victim to a bombing attack, a car bombing, outside the consulate in which 14 Pakistanis were killed. It's unclear whether or not this is linked to the same group that had been found guilty of perpetrating that attack, but right now officials say they do have some leads and it's possible they may make some arrests in the coming hours and days.

Ash-Har Quraishi, CNN, Islamabad, Pakistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: In Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan, U.S. forces are on the move right now rounding up anti-coalition fighters. At least three insurgents were killed and more than a dozen others were captured over the weekend.

CNN's Ryan Chilcote is in Kabul with more now on details on this roundup operation.

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RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, they call this the forgotten war. A lot of people here feel that this war in Afghanistan has really been overshadowed by all the media attention on Iraq.

But there are a lot of U.S. service men and women in Afghanistan, 11,500 of them, in addition, 2,000 servicemen and servicewomen fighting here, fighting Taliban and al Qaeda fighters. Now, the U.S. military has announced a new offensive. It's calling it Operation Mountain Storm. It really is saying that this is not just about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, that really this is an evolution and continuation of the offensive operations that have been going on.

Let's listen to one Lieutenant Colonel Brian Hilferty. He's one of the public spokesman here, who's talked about that operation on Saturday.

LT. COL. BRIAN HILFERTY, U.S. ARMY: I would say this operation is aimed, like the rest, at rebuilding and reconstructing and providing enduring security in Afghanistan. So, it's certainly about more than one person. We do have confidence, though, and the leaders of al Qaeda and the leader of Taliban need to be brought to justice, and they will be.

CHILCOTE: Wolf, the U.S. military really has two things going on in terms of timing right now that are very important.

First of all, it's spring here in Afghanistan. And that means that the snow that normally blocks those mountain passes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, that snow is beginning to melt, and the fighters, the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters that are in that area, the U.S. military expects will come out in greater numbers now that those passes are open.

The other important thing is that the Pakistani military is putting a lot of pressure in the tribal regions on the tribes to give up any Taliban and al Qaeda fighters that they might be sheltering there. We have some very rare video. Here you see some of the tribal leaders saying they're ready to volunteer in that fight to find and at least expel any Taliban and al Qaeda fighters in that area. And the U.S. military says it's going to be ready if those fighters come over the border in Afghanistan to grab them -- Wolf.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Ryan Chilcote, reporting from Kabul in Afghanistan -- Ryan, thank you very much.

Last week's Madrid train bombings were a wakeup call for much of Europe. How will they impact the war on terror? We'll ask an expert.

And we'll continue the story of an Iraq war veteran. Coming up, how it feels to finally, after a year in Iraq, to be back home.

And it will be no more encores for Luciano Pavarotti, at least not at the Met. We'll tell you about an historic last.

All that coming up. First, though, a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Israeli missiles hit two alleged weapons factories in Gaza. Security sources say the airstrike was retaliation for yesterday's deadly Palestinian suicide attack on the Port of Ashdod. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today ruled out peace talks with the Palestinians, saying they've done nothing to stop attacks by militants.

Red Square flames. Two Russian firefighters were killed battling a blaze just off Moscow's Red Square within sight of the Kremlin. Reports say a short circuit may have cause the blaze in an historic building frequently used for exhibitions and trade fares.

Putin prevails. Russian President Vladimir Putin is promising stability after his landslide reelection. Putin's 71 percent majority against five other candidates came as no surprise to observers, many of whom complained about one-sided campaign coverage in state- controlled Russian media.

Papal milestone. Pope John Paul II condemned last week's deadly bomb attacks in Spain as a horrendous trim. The remarks came as the 83-year-old pontiff became the third longest serving pope in history. John Paul has led the Roman Catholic Church for 25 years and five months.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The ongoing battles in Afghanistan and last week's bloodbath in Spain point out just how tough the war on terror can be.

Bruce Hoffman is joining us here in Washington. He's a terrorism expert at the RAND Corporation.

Bruce, thanks for joining us; 9/11 was a huge wakeup call in the United States; 3/11, is that going to be a wakeup call in Western Europe?

BRUCE HOFFMAN, RAND CORPORATION: I think it will be, because, just as we saw on September 11, there was a transition from al Qaeda, from a fairly local, regional capability to a global one.

What we see now, the transition is from al Qaeda to many al Qaedas, to associate or affiliated groups that have proven themselves very capable of engaging in terrorism.

BLITZER: Now, are you working under the assumption that this was not ETA, the Basque separatist movement, but some sort of Islamic support group associated with al Qaeda?

HOFFMAN: The level of carnage and the body count suggest that it's a radical jihadist group. It would be somewhat outside of ETA's normal modus operandi. I think they are ruthless enough, but isn't their type of thing. They go in for individual assassinations.

BLITZER: Is there a coordination possibility, ETA plus al Qaeda?

HOFFMAN: We know that ETA has worked with the IRA, with the FARC. But there would be no evidence to date of ETA or any other group, secular group, working with a religious entity like al Qaeda.

BLITZER: Is there significant evidence of al Qaeda as an organization working with any secular group?

HOFFMAN: No, it would be unprecedented.

BLITZER: Although I guess some who allege the al Qaeda-Saddam Hussein connection could make the case that he was a secularist.

HOFFMAN: No, that's very true, and I think we still have to wait to find out more about that.

BLITZER: About that connection.

All right, what are the lessons that need to be learned here in the United States from what happened in Madrid?

HOFFMAN: Well, certainly, and I think understandably, we have focused very much in the past 2 1/2 years on aviation security. What we saw in Madrid is, it's not just public means of transportation involving aviation, but also on the ground, not just intercity terminals rail terminals, but also subways, metros, underground, buses.

BLITZER: But to go ahead and do to train stations, subway stations what's done to airports, that is taking security to a whole different level. It could cost billions and billions and may not even work.

HOFFMAN: No, that's absolutely right.

But I think what the incident in Madrid suggests is that there has to be a reevaluation and an examination of security at all these other nodes. And perhaps the solution is not the same level of security at an airport. But, nonetheless, I don't think we can do business the same way we have been.

BLITZER: A lot of experts have been surprised that, since 9/11, there have been no significant terror attacks on U.S. soil. Are you?

HOFFMAN: I wouldn't say I'm surprised.

I think this is a reflection of the war against terrorism, is that we have prevented al Qaeda from attacking the United States, which is their top target. But what we see is them gaining strength, harnessing their resources and focusing on Europe, which, for them, is an equally important target.

BLITZER: Bruce Hoffman of the RAND Corporation, thanks very much for joining us.

HOFFMAN: Thank you.

BLITZER: Our Jamie McIntyre is standing by at the Pentagon. He's getting some new information.

Jamie, tell us what you have.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, 26 detainees from Guantanamo Bay are being released, that announcement from the Pentagon today; 23 of them will be transferred to Afghanistan, where they'll be released there, three Pakistanis also being freed.

The decision comes after they review the cases of these detainees. The Pentagon makes the point that they make the best decision they can based on the evidence they have. Sometimes they believe the people they're releasing could still be a threat. Currently, 119 detainees have been released; 12 others have been transferred to other countries. And there are about 610 left at Guantanamo Bay.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon -- Jamie, thanks for that information.

A soldier's homecoming and reflections on his time in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUPREE: Saddam kind of painted bad picture about Iraqi people, but the majority of them are probably the nicest people you will ever meet, real gracious, real -- they had tons of gratitude.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: We followed Specialist Adrian Dupree when he returned for his R&R. And now he's home for good. We'll catch up with him once again. We'll get to that.

First, though, a quick look at some stories you may have missed this past weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Fallen firefighter. Pittsburgh is mourning the death of tow firefighters. They died Saturday while battling a blaze at a church. Funerals for both men are scheduled for Thursday.

Voices of dissent. More than 200 peace activities from around the United States gathered yesterday outside Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Their aim was to draw attention to American troops killed in Iraq. The base is home to the nation's largest military mortuary.

Pavarotti's finale. Saturday performance of "Tosca" at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York was something to remember for opera fans lucky enough to get a ticket. Luciano Pavarotti says it was his last performance on stage. His career has spanned four decades.

Wildcats are No. 1. The University of Kentucky men's basketball team is the No. 1 overall seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. U.K. won its 25th Southeastern Conference championship yesterday, knocking off the Florida Gators in the SEC championship game.

And that's our weekend snapshot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: While thousands of U.S. troops remain in Iraq, the tour of duty for some has now come to an end and they're returning to lives interrupted by war.

CNN's Jennifer Coggiola is here with one soldier's story of coming home, a soldier we've been periodically following on the program -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, these homecoming stories never seem to get old.

For Specialist Adrian Dupree, after a 15-month deployment, he was ready for a new beginning as a brand-new husband, facing life, as his wife told us, stronger and even more of a man than when he left.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA (voice-over): It was more than a year apart for Specialist Adrian Dupree and Mieasha Pompe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You ain't got to worry about going back this time.

DUPREE: Oh, no.

COGGIOLA: Dupree, who served with the 322nd Civil Affairs Command, was deployed in December '02, but, after nine months, was one of the lucky ones, part of the first group of soldiers granted 15 days off for some R&R. Dupree took full advantage of his time home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Adrian, you may now greet your wife.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

COGGIOLA: A joyous occasion marked with a bittersweet reality. Dupree returned to the Gulf just days later.

Now, five months after the newlyweds said their "I do"s and their goodbye, home at last, here, a card for dad, 5-year-old Jordan (ph) ready to get his family home. Looking back on life in Iraq, Dupree says he doesn't want to return, but would do it all over again if he had to.

DUPREE: At first, that really meant I'm not going to say nothing to me, but when I came home and to see regular Americans and everybody said thank you and stuff like that, that made the difference right there. That made it all worth it.

COGGIOLA: Still, the separation was never easy.

DUPREE: It's just hard, you know, sleeping alone sometimes. It's hard.

MIEASHA POMPE, WIFE: There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't wish he was home. It was tough.

COGGIOLA: A mechanic at home, Specialist Dupree had quite a different job in Iraq. Working in H.R., he handled casualty reports.

DUPREE: In a weird kind of way, I'm anxious to get back to work, because I like what I do.

COGGIOLA: But mom says he has an important job at home to do first.

SHERON WASHINGTON, MOTHER: You are a married man now. And you have responsibilities, step up to the plate, swing the bat and do what you have to do and always take care of your family.

COGGIOLA: Something Dupree's father was only glad to do while his son was away, but now is ready to pass torch.

EDWIN WASHINGTON, FATHER: Welcome home.

DUPREE: Thank you.

E. WASHINGTON: You can now have your family back.

(LAUGHTER)

E. WASHINGTON: I'm just happy that he's back home and -- it's a big relief, honestly.

COGGIOLA: For this soldier, a bit of normalcy restored. As a friend, a father.

DUPREE: Jordan, slow down!

COGGIOLA: And a husband.

DUPREE: It's been a long year, and I'm glad to be back home with my family.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA: Specialist Dupree has gone back to his job as a mechanic. And he has about 1 1/2 years left as a reservist, but says he would like to continue with his military career after that.

BLITZER: Welcome home, Specialist Dupree.

Thanks very much, Jennifer, for that story.

A natural wonder puts on a show, a glacial surprise. That's our picture of the day. We'll show it to you. Plus, the results of our "Web Question of the Day" -- all that, that's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The birth of an iceberg, it's our picture of the day.

Visitors to Argentina's Patagonia region got quite a show yesterday. They witnessed a giant chunk of Perito Moreno glacier break away and fall into a lake below. The 20-mile-long glacier is one of Argentina's most important natural wonders. The last time it put on a show like this was 16 years ago.

Here's how you're weighing in our "Web Question of the Day": Are the election results in Spain a victory for terrorists? Seventy percent of you say; 30 percent of you say no. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

A reminder, we're on weekdays 5:00 p.m. Eastern, as well as noon Eastern. I'll see you again tomorrow. We'll be reporting from New York.

Until then, thanks for joining us.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Qaeda>


Aired March 15, 2004 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Losing an ally?

JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER ELECT (through translator): Spain's participation in the war has been a total error.

BLITZER: Far reaching fallout from the terror in Madrid.

Cave warfare. U.S. troops step up the hunt for al Qaeda.

House of horrors.

CHIEF JERRY DYER, FRESNO, CALIF. POLICE: We do believe, absolutely, he is responsible for the murder of all nine victims.

BLITZER: A Fresno father accused of unspeakable acts.

Homecoming. You saw him on leave.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You may now greet your wife.

BLITZER: Now he's back from Iraq to stay.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: We're following a developing story right now, a news conference, you're seeing live here from Fresno, California. It's a grim story, we've been watching since late Friday night. A man accused of killing nine of his children and grandchildren, some he allegedly fathered with his own daughters. Here's the police chief, Jerry Dyer.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

DYER: ... around the Hammond address. That was for two reasons. No. 1 is that the family was very concerned that individuals in the neighborhood and passersby were coming to that location to look inside. Folks were bringing their children to look inside of the windows. Obviously, they felt that their privacy was being invaded and they asked the police department to come back to it and provide some additional security.

Also subsequent to that, we did go out and also gather some additional items of interest. And that we will continue. Based on our ongoing investigation, we will periodically be going back to that house to gather items of interest for us, subsequent to a search warrant.

A second search warrant was also served yesterday in the Fresno area, as a result of that search warrant. We're not able to comment on the evidence seized from that location. I will say we have gathered additional items of interest that we believe will assist us in the investigation at this time problems. And perhaps even assist us with the motives involved in this case.

Again, this tragedy has truly brought out what I believe to be the best citizens within our community. We continue to get a number of requests or a number of input from individuals within this community that wish to contribute.

Again, I stated at the press conference on Saturday that folks have donated the funeral services. At least two funeral parlors in the city have donated to do that for free.

We are also being inundated with words of condolences from folks around the nation, as well as some information that is being provided, not only in California but outside of the state of California. Information which folks feel that may assist us in this investigation.

Last, I want to put out a telephone number, if you folks would put that out. If anyone has information that will assist us with our investigators, assist our investigators in this case, you are asked to call area code 559-621-7413.

And that is a message center, specific to this case. And so if anyone has information, we'd appreciate a phone call. Our investigators will get back to the caller as soon as possible.

With that, I'll open up to any questions.

QUESTION: Can you tell us (OFF-MIKE) gunpowder possibly on some of the hands of the victims and whether or not they were involved in this?

DYER: I can't comment on the specifics of any the evidence or the tests in which we're performing. But I will say that is a matter of standard practice in investigating these types of cases.

There is gunshot residue testing that occurs of individuals that are within close proximity. And again, that is a -- just a standard practice. In terms of any information as a result of that, we're not at liberty to discuss that with you.

BLITZER: The Fresno, California police chief Jerry Dyer briefing reporters on this horrible, horrible mass murder. CNN has learned police are expecting to arraign Marcus Wesson on Wednesday.

Let's get background now on how all this unfolded. Here's CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): (AUDIO GAP) cannot make eye contact, can't even look up, but can defend his father.

SERAFINO WESSON, MARCUS WESSON'S SON: He's the best dad anybody could ever have.

TODD: Serafino Wesson, like everyone around him, seemingly cannot comprehend what his father is accused of.

Marcus Wesson, 57 years old. Charged with the biggest mass killing in the history of Fresno, California. Nine people, all of them his own children.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) awful for everybody, that he took all their lives all at one time.

TODD: Police called to Wesson's house Friday night find the bodies of six females, three male, ranging in age from 1 to 24, piled atop one another. Twelve coffins in another room. Police believe all of the victims were shot to death.

LORALEE CERVANTES, FRESNO CORONER: I can just say there are some variations in a pattern. And obviously a pattern exists because there are multiple victims.

TODD: Identifying victims and their specific relationship with each other and their alleged killer is also very tough for investigators. Police say at least two of the children Wesson is charged from killing are from incestuous relationships.

DYER: The suspect Wesson is the father of two of his grandchildren. Which means that there was a sexual relationship that occurred between he and perhaps two of his daughters. And those daughters mothered children that were his.

TODD: The police chief told CNN two other women also mothered children by Marcus Wesson. Another son answered charges of polygamy.

WESSON: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) different lives. And to him, actually he just he's pulled out and so am I.

TODD: Then Dorian Wesson, called to Fresno from his home more than 100 miles away, watches his brother inside but cannot bring himself to go in.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That was Brian Todd, CNN, reporting.

Let's get some exclusive new information now on al Qaeda. Did al Qaeda set out to topple a key U.S. ally? And did it succeed? The slaughter of last week's terror attacks in Madrid was follow almost immediately by a stunning defeat for Spain's ruling conservative party.

The result, a pledge from the prime minister-elect to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq. And that may be a stunning setback for President Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): A document written by a senior al Qaeda figure last December and obtained exclusively by CNN revealed the terrorist group was clearly focused on splitting Spain from the U.S.- led coalition in Iraq.

Although it talked about Spanish troops in Iraq, the goal was clear. If its forces remain after these blows, the victory of the socialist party will be almost guaranteed, and the withdrawal of Spanish forces will be on its campaign manifesto.

In another development, Moroccan authorities say they can connect one of the men arrested in Madrid with two brothers who are charged with plotting the terrorist suicide bombings in Casablanca last May that killed more than 30 people.

U.S. officials say that while these links are intriguing, they require still more investigation before there's conclusive evidence of responsibility for Thursday's terror attacks in Madrid.

On the day after the ballots were counted, President Bush made a congratulatory phone call to Spain's newly elected socialist prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, even as he promises to withdraw Spain's 1,300 troops from Iraq.

Administration officials are trying to stress the positive.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The party leader, Mr. Zapatero Rodriguez (sic), has said his first priority would be fighting terror. And that Spain will continue to fight groups that direct violence towards other countries.

BLITZER: But there's no hiding disappointment in official Washington. President Bush had a close ally in the defeated prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, who supported the war in Iraq despite overwhelming popular opposition throughout Spain.

Shortly after Thursday's terror attacks in Madrid, and on the eve of Sunday's election, the president went on Spanish television and praised Aznar.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That the people of Spain are lucky to have Jose Maria Aznar as the president (sic) during these times.

KEN POLLAK, CNN ANALYST: Certainly this isn't good for the administration. They were looking to expand the number of countries participating, and expand the number of troops in that were Iraq. Obviously, this isn't going to help that.

BLITZER: What worries counterterrorism officials is that al Qaeda and other associated groups might time attacks to derail other governments including Britain and Poland, which are also mentioned in the al Qaeda document. POLLAK: I think it will send the message to many people that the terrorists did have a big impact on domestic election in a key U.S. ally.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And certainly not lost on U.S. official, the fact that there's an election in this country in November. Here's your chance to weigh in on this important story. Our web question of the day is this -- "Are the election results in Spain a victory for terrorists?" You can vote right now, go to CNN.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

Weapons of mass destruction out of Libya and now on display in a federal nuclear weapons complex in Tennessee. The energy secretary, Spencer Abraham, he's standing by to show us what Libya once had. He'll join us live.

On the offensive against al Qaeda -- U.S. troops surprise anti- coalition fighters in Afghanistan. We'll have a report from Kabul.

Plus this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I came home to see regular Americans and everybody say thank you and stuff like that, that made the difference right there. That made it all worth it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A new beginning, one soldier's home coming after a year in Iraq.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: U.S. officials are showing off nuclear equipment seized after Libya's recent agreement to give up its weapons of mass destruction programs. The Libyan gear is on display in America's own nuclear bomb plant at Oakridge, Tennessee. The energy secretary Spencer Abraham is there. He's joining us now live. Mr. Secretary, thank you for joining us. What did you learn? How close was Libya to building a bomb?

SPENCER ABRAHAM, ENERGY SECRETARY: Wolf, what we have here and what we're bringing to this country are all the ingredients you need to build a nuclear bomb. They had the designs, they had the centrifuges that enrich uranium and they had the uranium, so it was up to them, any time they wanted to move ahead with this program. Fortunately, it was stopped in time.

BLITZER: What was your guess, what was the U.S. intelligence assessment if they went forward with everything they had, everything you have on display right there, how fast could they have built the bomb? ABRAHAM: They could have moved fairly quickly. It's hard to pinpoint exactly. They could have been in a position with the equipment we've taken control of to develop several bombs a year, and they were planning to build an even larger capacity in the near future. Obviously, this was a program sophisticated and well down the road until it was stopped.

BLITZER: What about their other so-called weapons of mass destruction programs. The biological, the chemical weapons of mass destruction? How sophisticated were they?

ABRAHAM: Well, obviously, my expertise, our department focus was on the nuclear programs. We know that certainly in the chemical area and so on, they had also developed capabilities, and were certainly quite sophisticated. So, this is a big win in the war against terror, Wolf. It is a real important step forward, and sends a strong signal. Countries have a choice, they can try to pursue these weapons, and I think that's a risk for them as well as the world or they can follow Libya's lead here and move in a direction toward working with the international community.

BLITZER: I don't know if you saw that op-ed piece by former Senator Gary Hart of Colorado in the "Washington Post" in January. He said the United States could have had this win years earlier but neglected various opportunities. Among other things, he wrote this and I'll put it on the screen. He said, "we might have brought the Panam bombers to justice and quite possibly have moved Libya out of its renegade status much sooner than we have. At the very least, it calls into serious question the assertion that Libya changed direction as a result of our preempted invasion of Iraq."

He says the Libyans were ready to do this for years, that the United States neglected them and their coming clean, in effect, had nothing to do with what they saw happen to Saddam Hussein. I wonder if you want to respond to that?

ABRAHAM: I won't respond to him personally. I don't really -- you know, I'm not sure where he's coming from. What I would say is this, Colonel Gadhafi has not demonstrated over the course of a long period of leadership, a willingness to voluntarily give up his nuclear capabilities until now, and the timing both of when the initial discussions began here as well as when this came to completion is very much coincidental with the war in Iraq. That isn't only factor, but I think it's important that the United States, the U.K., the world community demonstrated that we were very committed. We were willing to go forward and take the kinds of steps necessary, including the use of force to stop the proliferation of weapons. In my judgment that was a very vital component in the decision Libya made.

BLITZER: I want to ask you a question about the price of gas. But a quick question on nuclear reactors in the United States. There are more than 100 of them. Are you satisfied that security around all of these reactors now almost three years since 9/11, is as tight as it should be?

ABRAHAM: Well, I know that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that has oversight about the security of those reactors is in an ongoing state of analyzing threats and responding to potential threats, updating their analysis all the time. We feel they've done a good job of that.

BLITZER: You are relatively satisfied, is that right?

ABRAHAM: Yes, yes, I am.

BLITZER: OK, let's talk a little bit about the price of gas, in parts of the country it's going above $2 a gallon for regular unleaded. Take a look at this. I'll put it up on the screen. In Los Angeles area and San Diego it's over $2.15 a gallon. Do you expect the price to continue to increase, and if you do, why?

ABRAHAM: We're very concerned about the price of gasoline, not just in California but throughout the country. There are obviously, some very clear factors that have raised the price, especially, of course the overall price of crude oil in the world market, and the decisions on the part of OPEC for instance to reduce production. We'll have a negative impact on that.

There's other factors as well, we have tight supplies, inventories have been tight. We also have demand has been growing in both America and throughout the world, world economy and the American economy have been growing. We are very concerned about it, and obviously, it's been long our view that if Congress would pass an energy bill, we could start to address these energy challenges. We've been waiting three years for an energy bill. If this isn't enough of a wake-up call, I don't know what will be. Congress needs to get job done.

BLITZER: One final question, Mr. Secretary, when do you think oil exports from Iraq will be at the kind of level that will make a difference in the price?

ABRAHAM: Well, Iraq is slowly but surely rebuilding their energy sector. There's a lot of infrastructure improvements that remain to be done. And obviously, the government of Iraq, the people of Iraq will have to decide how much foreign investment they're going to want to help make that occur quickly. We're optimistic that by the end of this year, we'll start to see the return of production of pre-war levels, and then, we'll go from there, but it's obviously a decision the people of Iraq have to make, it's not one we can make for them, but with sufficient investment they can make their energy sector strong and increase production as well as exports.

BLITZER: Spencer Abraham, the energy secretary, we look forward to seeing you back here in Washington. Thank you for joining us.

ABRAHAM: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: Lessons from the war in Iraq. What has the U.S. military learned one year later? And how has the war on terror changed? I'll speak with the former defense secretary William Cohen.

Bomb defused. Its intended target, the U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan. We'll have a report.

Plus conceding defeat? Al Sharpton says goodbye, maybe,, to the presidential campaign trail. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Al Sharpton, Democratic presidential candidate came out endorsing John Kerry today, but he says he's still interested in running for the presidential nomination because he wants to capture more delegates to use at the convention. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. AL SHARPTON (D), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that clearly he has won the nomination, and as I had stated during the race, I would support the nominee. I think that it is, in my judgment, bad strategically, and bad for the country, to engage in continuing to attack or in any way differentiate with him during the primaries that remain would only help George Bush, since he is the nominee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: President Bush, meanwhile, campaigned in the Philadelphia area today, he called attention to a new report showing U.S. industrial production rose 7/10 of a percentage point last month. He says that's just the latest of it hence his economic policies are working.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The economy is strong, and getting stronger, the manufacturing report today was very positive. Another indication of the economy strengthening. Unemployment's dropping here in the state of Pennsylvania. There's still people looking for work, make no mistake about it. But it's getting better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A new Gallup poll suggests Americans are divided on President Bush's performance in office. 50 percent of those questioned say they approve of how Mr. Bush is handling his job as president, 47 percent say they disapprove. But listen to this. may be more significant. Responding to a broader question only 39 percent say they're satisfied with the way things are going in the United States right now. 60 percent say they're dissatisfied.

One year after the United States invaded Iraq, last week's bombings in Spain are raising new questions about the war on terror and U.S. policies in the Middle East. We welcome the former U.S. defense secretary William Cohen to WOLF BLITZER REPORTS. He's the chairman and CEO of the Cohen Group, he'll be joining us every Monday as our world affairs analyst. Today we'll talk to him about Spain and Iraq, starting with Spain, Mr. Secretary. If it was al Qaeda or some Islamist group trying to remove the government of Jose Maria Aznar, and put a socialist government in place. That strategy may have succeeded.

WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: It may have succeeded. We don't know the exact culprits behind this act. It may have succeeded and the question is will it be seen as a precedent for other countries to follow suit. There are other nations who have either committed troops to Iraq or have contemplated committing troops to Iraq. Whether they'll reevaluate at this point remains to be seen, but it's certainly a dangerous precedent. No. 2, it calls into question Spain's commitment to NATO itself, which has assumed the responsibility and assumed it in Afghanistan, and maybe even assuming it in parts of Iraq.

BLITZER: Are you suggesting the new socialist-led government may not be as robustly supportive of NATO as the previous government?

COHEN: We hope that that will not be the case. We hope he will continue to be a strong supporter. But there was growing movement toward NATO possibly considering involvement in Iraq itself. If one member would object to that, of course, NATO operates by consensus, I would hope that would not the case and, of course, the new prime minister left himself open saying if the United Nations should pass a security council resolution, that certainly might alter his position.

BLITZER: And the clear possibility there could be a new U.N. Security Council resolution between now and June 30. What will this message, what happened in Spain, the terror attacks on Thursday, the election surprise on Sunday. What message will that send to other allies in Europe?

COHEN: I think other countries. It depends on the individual country, if you look to Germany or France, it probably will not alter their particular position because they were opposed to the war in the first instance. Other countries that participated. Poland may be one, I do not see this as shaking the commitment of the polls. Japan was a country, again, against popular opinion, the prime minister has taken a position he is prepared to commit troops and has committed troops to Iraq. South Korea is another country very much in turmoil right now but also a president who campaigned on a sort of anti- American theme, and nonetheless came to the conclusion it was important to contribute troops to Iraq, that's certainly up in the air right now in terms of whether they'll go forward, it's something we have to look at.

BLITZER: You give any doubt, whatsoever, that al Qaeda or supporters of al Qaeda are planning another spectacular attack right here in the United States?

COHEN: I think we have to anticipate and prepare for the inevitability that groups like al Qaeda and others are planning to commit as much mayhem as they can on American soil and elsewhere. So we have to be prepared for that, understanding they're dedicated to that. That's why it's important as we be as defensively as prepared as we can but also on the offense trying to keep them off balance, with good police work, covert action, special forces if necessary, and ultimately military force, if necessary.

BLITZER: There are going to be the Olympic Games, summer games in Greece in August. That presumably is an inviting target for the terrorists?

COHEN: Any time you have a large gathering of people, the groups are looking to score spectacular successes, and certainly that will be a target, and the Greek authorities have been preparing for this for some time.

BLITZER: Are they good at this, the Greek authorities?

COHEN: Well, is anyone good at it? If you're only playing defense and you have a dedicated enemy, they can look for whatever weak links there are to try and score. This was not a very sophisticated operation in Spain. You have conventional bombs in knapsacks being placed aboard trains which are largely undefended, not terribly sophisticated but very effect in terms of its damages and the colloquial consequences that flow from it.

BLITZER: The powerful consequences. Thank you very much. Tragic ones as well.

COHEN: Indeed.

BLITZER: William Cohen, who will be joining us every Monday here on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, thanks very much.

COHEN: Good to be with you, Wolf.

BLITZER: A soldier who served in Iraq is rediscovering the home front.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome home.

ADRIAN DUPREE, U.S. ARMY RESERVES: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can now have your family back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Later this hour, toasting the end of a tour on duty and looking back on time spent in the war zone.

Also ahead, we'll take you to the Afghan mountains, where coalition troops are wrapping up for a new offensive. They're looking for Osama bin Laden.

And there's suddenly an empty seat on the board of Martha Stewart's company -- that story, much more, all that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Fighting the war on terror after a major setback in Spain. U.S. troops on the hunt for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. We'll update you on both fronts, but first a quick check of the latest headlines.

Martha Stewart is no longer a board member of the company she created. Today, she resigned as chief creative officer, but will still serve in the company in other capacities. Stewart also released a statement to fellow employees, saying she was deeply sorry for the pain and difficulties caused by her legal situation.

Authorities gearing up for Eric Rudolph's first bombing trial are once again scouring the North Carolina hideouts he used during his five years on the run. They say it's part of an effort to make sure no evidence was missed. Meanwhile, two people, including a death penalty expert, have joined Rudolph's defense team.

Former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is back in the Caribbean, having arrived in Jamaica this afternoon for what's being called a family visit. The government there says Aristide is not being given temporary asylum, but Haiti's interim prime minister blasted Jamaica for allowing him in.

Police in Pakistan are on the hunt for the driver of a stolen minivan who left a bomb outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi. Experts were able to diffuse the device before it exploded.

CNN's Ash-Har Quraishi, reports from Islamabad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A paramilitary trooper first noticed the parked van outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi. He approach the van and when he saw what was inside, he called a bomb disposal unit.

Now, inside, they found a 750-liter tank filled with liquefied explosives connected to detonators and a timer. Now, security officials say the assumption is that this was timed to go off when U.S. Consulate employees were actually entering the building. It was planted there about 7:15 a.m. local time. This is something that they were able to find out from a surveillance video at the U.S. Consulate.

And they say that there are pictures of the man who actually dropped the van off. He got out of the van and was taken in a separate vehicle away from the area. Now, they also were able to trace this van back to a local Karachi residence. Just 12 hours before the van was parked outside the consulate, this man was held at gunpoint, his van was stolen and he was shot in the leg.

Now, security officials say they have gotten a composite drawing of the suspect who stole the van. They say it's not clear whether or not he was the same person who parked it at the location at the U.S. Consulate. But that's sending they are investigating at this point.

Now, back in 2002, June, the U.S. Consulate fell victim to a bombing attack, a car bombing, outside the consulate in which 14 Pakistanis were killed. It's unclear whether or not this is linked to the same group that had been found guilty of perpetrating that attack, but right now officials say they do have some leads and it's possible they may make some arrests in the coming hours and days.

Ash-Har Quraishi, CNN, Islamabad, Pakistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: In Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan, U.S. forces are on the move right now rounding up anti-coalition fighters. At least three insurgents were killed and more than a dozen others were captured over the weekend.

CNN's Ryan Chilcote is in Kabul with more now on details on this roundup operation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, they call this the forgotten war. A lot of people here feel that this war in Afghanistan has really been overshadowed by all the media attention on Iraq.

But there are a lot of U.S. service men and women in Afghanistan, 11,500 of them, in addition, 2,000 servicemen and servicewomen fighting here, fighting Taliban and al Qaeda fighters. Now, the U.S. military has announced a new offensive. It's calling it Operation Mountain Storm. It really is saying that this is not just about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, that really this is an evolution and continuation of the offensive operations that have been going on.

Let's listen to one Lieutenant Colonel Brian Hilferty. He's one of the public spokesman here, who's talked about that operation on Saturday.

LT. COL. BRIAN HILFERTY, U.S. ARMY: I would say this operation is aimed, like the rest, at rebuilding and reconstructing and providing enduring security in Afghanistan. So, it's certainly about more than one person. We do have confidence, though, and the leaders of al Qaeda and the leader of Taliban need to be brought to justice, and they will be.

CHILCOTE: Wolf, the U.S. military really has two things going on in terms of timing right now that are very important.

First of all, it's spring here in Afghanistan. And that means that the snow that normally blocks those mountain passes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, that snow is beginning to melt, and the fighters, the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters that are in that area, the U.S. military expects will come out in greater numbers now that those passes are open.

The other important thing is that the Pakistani military is putting a lot of pressure in the tribal regions on the tribes to give up any Taliban and al Qaeda fighters that they might be sheltering there. We have some very rare video. Here you see some of the tribal leaders saying they're ready to volunteer in that fight to find and at least expel any Taliban and al Qaeda fighters in that area. And the U.S. military says it's going to be ready if those fighters come over the border in Afghanistan to grab them -- Wolf.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Ryan Chilcote, reporting from Kabul in Afghanistan -- Ryan, thank you very much.

Last week's Madrid train bombings were a wakeup call for much of Europe. How will they impact the war on terror? We'll ask an expert.

And we'll continue the story of an Iraq war veteran. Coming up, how it feels to finally, after a year in Iraq, to be back home.

And it will be no more encores for Luciano Pavarotti, at least not at the Met. We'll tell you about an historic last.

All that coming up. First, though, a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Israeli missiles hit two alleged weapons factories in Gaza. Security sources say the airstrike was retaliation for yesterday's deadly Palestinian suicide attack on the Port of Ashdod. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today ruled out peace talks with the Palestinians, saying they've done nothing to stop attacks by militants.

Red Square flames. Two Russian firefighters were killed battling a blaze just off Moscow's Red Square within sight of the Kremlin. Reports say a short circuit may have cause the blaze in an historic building frequently used for exhibitions and trade fares.

Putin prevails. Russian President Vladimir Putin is promising stability after his landslide reelection. Putin's 71 percent majority against five other candidates came as no surprise to observers, many of whom complained about one-sided campaign coverage in state- controlled Russian media.

Papal milestone. Pope John Paul II condemned last week's deadly bomb attacks in Spain as a horrendous trim. The remarks came as the 83-year-old pontiff became the third longest serving pope in history. John Paul has led the Roman Catholic Church for 25 years and five months.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The ongoing battles in Afghanistan and last week's bloodbath in Spain point out just how tough the war on terror can be.

Bruce Hoffman is joining us here in Washington. He's a terrorism expert at the RAND Corporation.

Bruce, thanks for joining us; 9/11 was a huge wakeup call in the United States; 3/11, is that going to be a wakeup call in Western Europe?

BRUCE HOFFMAN, RAND CORPORATION: I think it will be, because, just as we saw on September 11, there was a transition from al Qaeda, from a fairly local, regional capability to a global one.

What we see now, the transition is from al Qaeda to many al Qaedas, to associate or affiliated groups that have proven themselves very capable of engaging in terrorism.

BLITZER: Now, are you working under the assumption that this was not ETA, the Basque separatist movement, but some sort of Islamic support group associated with al Qaeda?

HOFFMAN: The level of carnage and the body count suggest that it's a radical jihadist group. It would be somewhat outside of ETA's normal modus operandi. I think they are ruthless enough, but isn't their type of thing. They go in for individual assassinations.

BLITZER: Is there a coordination possibility, ETA plus al Qaeda?

HOFFMAN: We know that ETA has worked with the IRA, with the FARC. But there would be no evidence to date of ETA or any other group, secular group, working with a religious entity like al Qaeda.

BLITZER: Is there significant evidence of al Qaeda as an organization working with any secular group?

HOFFMAN: No, it would be unprecedented.

BLITZER: Although I guess some who allege the al Qaeda-Saddam Hussein connection could make the case that he was a secularist.

HOFFMAN: No, that's very true, and I think we still have to wait to find out more about that.

BLITZER: About that connection.

All right, what are the lessons that need to be learned here in the United States from what happened in Madrid?

HOFFMAN: Well, certainly, and I think understandably, we have focused very much in the past 2 1/2 years on aviation security. What we saw in Madrid is, it's not just public means of transportation involving aviation, but also on the ground, not just intercity terminals rail terminals, but also subways, metros, underground, buses.

BLITZER: But to go ahead and do to train stations, subway stations what's done to airports, that is taking security to a whole different level. It could cost billions and billions and may not even work.

HOFFMAN: No, that's absolutely right.

But I think what the incident in Madrid suggests is that there has to be a reevaluation and an examination of security at all these other nodes. And perhaps the solution is not the same level of security at an airport. But, nonetheless, I don't think we can do business the same way we have been.

BLITZER: A lot of experts have been surprised that, since 9/11, there have been no significant terror attacks on U.S. soil. Are you?

HOFFMAN: I wouldn't say I'm surprised.

I think this is a reflection of the war against terrorism, is that we have prevented al Qaeda from attacking the United States, which is their top target. But what we see is them gaining strength, harnessing their resources and focusing on Europe, which, for them, is an equally important target.

BLITZER: Bruce Hoffman of the RAND Corporation, thanks very much for joining us.

HOFFMAN: Thank you.

BLITZER: Our Jamie McIntyre is standing by at the Pentagon. He's getting some new information.

Jamie, tell us what you have.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, 26 detainees from Guantanamo Bay are being released, that announcement from the Pentagon today; 23 of them will be transferred to Afghanistan, where they'll be released there, three Pakistanis also being freed.

The decision comes after they review the cases of these detainees. The Pentagon makes the point that they make the best decision they can based on the evidence they have. Sometimes they believe the people they're releasing could still be a threat. Currently, 119 detainees have been released; 12 others have been transferred to other countries. And there are about 610 left at Guantanamo Bay.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon -- Jamie, thanks for that information.

A soldier's homecoming and reflections on his time in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUPREE: Saddam kind of painted bad picture about Iraqi people, but the majority of them are probably the nicest people you will ever meet, real gracious, real -- they had tons of gratitude.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: We followed Specialist Adrian Dupree when he returned for his R&R. And now he's home for good. We'll catch up with him once again. We'll get to that.

First, though, a quick look at some stories you may have missed this past weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Fallen firefighter. Pittsburgh is mourning the death of tow firefighters. They died Saturday while battling a blaze at a church. Funerals for both men are scheduled for Thursday.

Voices of dissent. More than 200 peace activities from around the United States gathered yesterday outside Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Their aim was to draw attention to American troops killed in Iraq. The base is home to the nation's largest military mortuary.

Pavarotti's finale. Saturday performance of "Tosca" at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York was something to remember for opera fans lucky enough to get a ticket. Luciano Pavarotti says it was his last performance on stage. His career has spanned four decades.

Wildcats are No. 1. The University of Kentucky men's basketball team is the No. 1 overall seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. U.K. won its 25th Southeastern Conference championship yesterday, knocking off the Florida Gators in the SEC championship game.

And that's our weekend snapshot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: While thousands of U.S. troops remain in Iraq, the tour of duty for some has now come to an end and they're returning to lives interrupted by war.

CNN's Jennifer Coggiola is here with one soldier's story of coming home, a soldier we've been periodically following on the program -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, these homecoming stories never seem to get old.

For Specialist Adrian Dupree, after a 15-month deployment, he was ready for a new beginning as a brand-new husband, facing life, as his wife told us, stronger and even more of a man than when he left.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA (voice-over): It was more than a year apart for Specialist Adrian Dupree and Mieasha Pompe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You ain't got to worry about going back this time.

DUPREE: Oh, no.

COGGIOLA: Dupree, who served with the 322nd Civil Affairs Command, was deployed in December '02, but, after nine months, was one of the lucky ones, part of the first group of soldiers granted 15 days off for some R&R. Dupree took full advantage of his time home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Adrian, you may now greet your wife.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

COGGIOLA: A joyous occasion marked with a bittersweet reality. Dupree returned to the Gulf just days later.

Now, five months after the newlyweds said their "I do"s and their goodbye, home at last, here, a card for dad, 5-year-old Jordan (ph) ready to get his family home. Looking back on life in Iraq, Dupree says he doesn't want to return, but would do it all over again if he had to.

DUPREE: At first, that really meant I'm not going to say nothing to me, but when I came home and to see regular Americans and everybody said thank you and stuff like that, that made the difference right there. That made it all worth it.

COGGIOLA: Still, the separation was never easy.

DUPREE: It's just hard, you know, sleeping alone sometimes. It's hard.

MIEASHA POMPE, WIFE: There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't wish he was home. It was tough.

COGGIOLA: A mechanic at home, Specialist Dupree had quite a different job in Iraq. Working in H.R., he handled casualty reports.

DUPREE: In a weird kind of way, I'm anxious to get back to work, because I like what I do.

COGGIOLA: But mom says he has an important job at home to do first.

SHERON WASHINGTON, MOTHER: You are a married man now. And you have responsibilities, step up to the plate, swing the bat and do what you have to do and always take care of your family.

COGGIOLA: Something Dupree's father was only glad to do while his son was away, but now is ready to pass torch.

EDWIN WASHINGTON, FATHER: Welcome home.

DUPREE: Thank you.

E. WASHINGTON: You can now have your family back.

(LAUGHTER)

E. WASHINGTON: I'm just happy that he's back home and -- it's a big relief, honestly.

COGGIOLA: For this soldier, a bit of normalcy restored. As a friend, a father.

DUPREE: Jordan, slow down!

COGGIOLA: And a husband.

DUPREE: It's been a long year, and I'm glad to be back home with my family.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA: Specialist Dupree has gone back to his job as a mechanic. And he has about 1 1/2 years left as a reservist, but says he would like to continue with his military career after that.

BLITZER: Welcome home, Specialist Dupree.

Thanks very much, Jennifer, for that story.

A natural wonder puts on a show, a glacial surprise. That's our picture of the day. We'll show it to you. Plus, the results of our "Web Question of the Day" -- all that, that's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The birth of an iceberg, it's our picture of the day.

Visitors to Argentina's Patagonia region got quite a show yesterday. They witnessed a giant chunk of Perito Moreno glacier break away and fall into a lake below. The 20-mile-long glacier is one of Argentina's most important natural wonders. The last time it put on a show like this was 16 years ago.

Here's how you're weighing in our "Web Question of the Day": Are the election results in Spain a victory for terrorists? Seventy percent of you say; 30 percent of you say no. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

A reminder, we're on weekdays 5:00 p.m. Eastern, as well as noon Eastern. I'll see you again tomorrow. We'll be reporting from New York.

Until then, thanks for joining us.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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